VOTERAMA IN CONGRESS
WASHINGTON — Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress voted on major issues last week:
House
Delay of air-quality s t a n da r d s. Voting 229-199, the House on Tuesday passed a GOPsponsored bill (HR 806) that would extend from 2017 to 2025 the deadline for states to adopt stricter standards under the Clean Air Act for reducing ground-level concentrations of ozone, or smog.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
Voting yes: Ryan Costello (R., Pa.), Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Tom Mac-Arthur (R., N.J.), Pat Meehan (R., Pa.), and Lloyd Smucker (R., Pa.).
Voting no: Lisa Blunt Rochester (D., Del.), Brendan Boyle (D., Pa.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Matt Cartwright (D., Pa.), Dwight Evans (D., Pa.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Donald Norcross (D., N.J.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).
Protections for vulnerable populations. Voting 194-232, the House on Tuesday defeated a bid by Democrats to prevent HR 806 (above) from fully taking effect if an EPA scientific advisory committee concludes it would raise health risks to vulnerable populations such as outdoor workers, children, seniors, pregnant women, and minority and low-income communities.
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
Voting yes: Blunt Rochester, Boyle, Brady, Cartwright, Evans, and Nor-cross.
Voting no: Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Smith, and Smucker.
Natural-gas pipeline permits. Voting 248-179, the House on Wednesday passed a GOP-sponsored bill (HR 2910) that would set tight deadlines for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and other federal and state agencies to rule on applications for permits to build interstate natural gas pipelines.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
Voting yes: Boyle, Brady, Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Norcross, Smith, and Smucker.
Voting no: Blunt Rochester, Cartwright, and Evans.
Cross-border energy pipelines. Voting 254-175, the House on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 2883) that would end the requirement that presidents approve permits for oil and natural gas pipelines and electric- transmission facilities that cross U.S. borders. The bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue certificates for pipelines and the Department of Energy to grant approvals for electricity lines.
A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.
Voting yes: Brady, Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, Lo-Biondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Norcross, Smith, and Smucker.
Voting no: Blunt Rochester, Boyle, Cartwright, and Evans.
American-made iron and steel. Voting 193-232, the House on Wednesday defeated a Democratic motion requiring all iron and steel components of cross-border pipelines approved under HR 2883 (above) to be made in the United States.
A yes vote was to adopt a made-in-America requirement.
Voting yes: Blunt Rochester, Boyle, Brady, Cartwright, Evans, and Nor-cross.
Voting no: Costello, Dent, Fitzpatrick, LoBiondo, MacArthur, Meehan, Smith, and Smucker.
Senate
Patrick Shanahan confirmation. Voting 92-7, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Patrick M. Shanahan, 55, a longtime executive at the Boeing Co., as deputy secretary of defense, the Pentagon’s second-ranking position. Shanahan headed Boeing’s commercial aircraft and missile defense operations, among other positions in 31 years with the company.
A yes vote was to confirm Shanahan.
Voting yes: Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey (D., Pa.), Chris Coons (D., Del.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and Pat Toomey (R., Pa.).
Voting no: Cory Booker (D., N.J.).
This week. The House will take up the fiscal 2018 budget resolution, while the Senate will conduct at least one vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act.